Buckeye Institute CEO: Vote 'yes' on Issue 1 to 'fend off the Californication of Ohio'

Robert Alt is the president and chief executive officer of The Buckeye Institute in Columbus.

On August 8, Ohioans go to the polls to vote on Issue 1, which is an amendment to our state constitution that would raise the threshold for passing future amendments from the currently required 50 plus 1 to 60 percent of voters.

You read that correctly: It is an amendment to protect against future constitutional amendments.

Ohioans are duly confused about what is as stake with the August 8 election.

It is understandably difficult to sort through disingenuous messages from those making the case for and against Issue 1 for their own pretextual political reasons.

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Disregard all of that noise and think for yourself about why almost everyone is trying to get you to vote "no."

My organization has been bombarded with questions from well-meaning Ohioans seeking an impartial and credible explanation for which way they ought to vote.

We have been reluctant to weigh in publicly because in the first place there should not be August elections on special issues.

Ordinary folks are wrapping up summer vacations and getting their kids’ school supplies in order and often remain oblivious to important elections taking place.

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But our principled and long-held objection on that count is now irrelevant, and we are mere days away from this consequential special election.

Add to existing confusion about Issue 1 countless misleading ads and misinformation distributed by special interest groups on both sides, and what is a thoughtful yet busy person to do?

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I suggest voting "yes."

Here's why you should vote 'yes' on Issue 1

Constitutions are subject to amendment as you recall from history class, but those changes to our fundamental documents must be few and far between — made only slowly and deliberately over time, which is why the U.S. constitution requires a significant supermajority of states to ratify amendments.

We do not want to make willy-nilly updates.

California in Ohio?

California has a laughably easy-to-amend state constitution that serves as a warning. California’s constitution has been amended more than 500 times since the 1870s.

We should not Californicate Ohio’s constitution.

Peruse the United States constitution for yourself.

The language is what you would expect to find: “Congress shall make no laws... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press....”  These are principles of constitutional significance—ones that ensure that a majority does not abuse its power at the expense of everyone else’s fundamental rights. Now, likewise, go see for yourself by comparison our Ohio constitution.

There you will find the definition of what constitutes a table game, the tax parcel identification numbers of every casino in the state (Art. XV), etc. That absurd minutiae has no business being in our constitution.

But it has become the business of special interests to amend our constitution as frequently as they can — and both political sides are guilty.

Recent attempts include the effort to grant marijuana-growing monopolies into our state’s foundational document. We should not let these one-off campaigns continue to do so.

With a simple majority of 50 percent plus 1 being able to make amendments, Ohio’s constitution will become an increasingly silly document and risks exchanging the rule of law for the rule of special interests. Supermajority requirements ensure that people who are out of favor with the ruling class have protections from the whims of the majority.

Supporting Issue 1 is responsible, commonsense, and unfortunately unpopular. It is unsurprising that special interests on both sides are opposed to Issue 1 and doing everything they can to get you to vote "no."

Defy them.

Face it, you and I and ordinary Ohioans are not going to be the ones amending Ohio’s constitution in the future anyway.

We do not have the time, money, or wherewithal.

It will be well-funded, organized, and single-issue partisan groups with axes to grind. We should make it harder for them to meddle in our state’s constitution. Force them to pass their laws through the usual democratic process.

Vote "yes" on Issue 1 to require a 60 percent supermajority in order to fend off the Californication of Ohio and keep our state’s constitution as a durable foundational document.

Tell your friends, family, and neighbors: voting "yes" on August 8 will align Ohio’s constitutional amendment process with the wise supermajority requirements enshrined in our beloved U.S. constitution and simultaneously ensure that Ohio does not become beholden to special interests on either side.

Robert Alt is the president and chief executive officer of The Buckeye Institute in Columbus.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: We don't want 'California' in Ohio. Vote 'yes' on Issue 1| Buckeye Institute CEO Robert Alt